The state was awarded nearly $180 million in federal funding through the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Project Fund (CPF) to support a slew of critical capital projects.

In a press release announcing the award, Gov. Phil Murphy thanked the Biden-Harris administration as well as the state’s congressional delegation. He said the funding will go toward projects that promote public health and safety, digital connectivity and equitable access to critical services.

“This funding will help strengthen infrastructure and improve access to essential services, and in many instances it will be a game-changer that has a lasting impact on communities across our state,” said Murphy.

Projects supported through this funding include:

• $50 million for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to create and administer the New Jersey Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Equity program. The initiative will connect areas with limited or no access reliable broadband internet.
• $50 million for a new Union County Community School. The building will house students in grades seven through nine while also functioning as a multi-purpose community facility.
• More than $30 million for the State Library’s Building Community Resilience project. The effort is aimed at addressing disparities by investing in capital improvements at community facilities.
• $25 million for the construction of the new Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (MIHIC) in Trenton. The award complements additional federal and state funding allocated for this project
• $15 million for NJ Transit’s Connected Bus Program, providing free high-speed Wi-Fi with an activated ticket onboard public transport buses
• $6.6 million for the North Jersey Community Research Initiative to extend its homeless drop-in center into a multipurpose community facility space in downtown Newark.
• An additional $5 million for other projects that address the digital divide by providing the public with easier access to devices and the internet at public-facing state agencies

Essential investments

The CPF is a component of the broader American Rescue Plan. It is designed to provide funding to enhance quality of life, economic vitality and resilience of communities across the country.

“This funding is key to President [Joe] Biden’s Investing in America agenda and will help increase access to high-speed internet for thousands of New Jerseyans so they can compete in the 21st century economy,” said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.

“These are essential investments in New Jersey’s future, expanding access to high-speed internet, rebuilding schools, making it safer for mothers giving birth, and more,” said U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.